


NieR: Returner

by CaptainNoLife



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Male Protagonist, More tags later ig, Multi, References to Replicant/Gestalt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25244257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainNoLife/pseuds/CaptainNoLife
Summary: Awoken to a world occupied only by machines. The first human to ever be encountered by the Android forces emerges seemingly out of the blue.This work will primarily go through the story of Automata but with the effect of a human being encountered. Spoilers are guaranteed but I will mark chapters with them if one wishes to avoid them.
Relationships: Bruh I dunno I'll get to that when it comes lol
Comments: 12
Kudos: 55





	1. Operation: Failsafe

"-Drained from pod Y. Thawing process completed."  
...

Where am I? ...It's cold ...I can't move ...can't even move my head... my eyes burn when I open them and... there is something in my throat... some sort of tube? It's holding my mouth wide open.

"Removing-"

It's moving! The tube is being pulled out of me! I can feel every inch being pulled out of my damn esophagus!

"Releasing interior pressure from pod Y."

That voice... it sounds so... robotic? I feel like I am being sucked out of this... pod? What's going on?

"Opening hatch..."

As soon as I am able to open my eyes I am met with the cold concrete floor and a thud. It hurts to breath and my entire body aches. "Is... Is it over?" I manage to get the words out despite the pain from my throat. "Affirmative." replies the voice over what I assume is some kind of intercom "Please continue to medical center for a brief examination." I hear the sound of a door opening. I am not doing anything until I get my barrings. I lift my head from the floor and begin to look around.  
I am in a long, dimly lit hallway that is filled with pods of sorts, with a door at the other end of the hall. Two rows of pods line the walls behind and in front of me. And... I am naked and completely soaked in cold... water? I think.  
I use some handles on the pod in front of me as support as I struggle to stand up. My legs feel like they are about to crumble... like they are numb.

I manage to stand up though it's probably a pitiful sight. My hand is on some sort of glass part of the pod and below it is a big letter Z and a name plate. 

"S. Shypula?" 

I move my hand to see the face of whoever is in this pod but... the sight before me sends me back down to the floor. 

"She's... dead?" 

There wasn't much of a face left. Her body was almost completely decayed. I quickly turn my head to the remaining pods. I can't exactly count them from here, but some seem to be open. Count my blessings I suppose. After climbing back to my feet I start limping down the hall. 

There are 13 pods on both sides of the hallway, making up 26 in total, each with a letter and a name. Every one of the closed pods held a decomposing corpse, so they have been dead for a while. Just what the hell is going on?  
I reach the door at the end of the hall which leads to a small corridor. 

"Please enter the second door to your left." The voice instructs as I walk into the corridor. 

One of the doors opens to a brightly lit room, a welcome change to the dark hallways. I enter the room and am met with a number of hospital beds and white walls. Unfortunately, these beds are lacking blankets leaving me not only stuck in the nude but also freezing cold. 

"Can't you turn up the temperature in here?" I ask 

"Negative, this facility has been on power consumption mode for the last 9 9 9 9-" 

"I get it." I interrupt. "Who are you?" I ask the disembodied voice. 

"I am Orion." it answers "The monitor of this bunker and its inhabitants. We have met before, Subject Y." 

"Before...? I don't recall." I shake my head only causing the fuzzy feeling to worsen. "Are you some kind of AI?" I ask

"Affirmative." Orion answers. "Perhaps we should start with the mental evaluation rather than the physical."

"Hold on now. I have questions of my own-"

"Please take a seat, Subject Y." Orion aggressively interrupts.

My head is all fuzzy and this thing want's an interview? All I am drawing are blanks here! I just... can't think. Everything is practically numb. If it weren't for the constant chill I would think I'm dreaming.  
Reluctantly I take a seat on the side of one of the beds.

"Can you remember your name, Subject Y?" asks Orion.

"My name..."

My name? My name... I have one, that much is certain. I remember being called it but... not the name itself.

"I... I do not." I say and lower my head.

"Can you recall why you are here, in this bunker. Or the events leading to your stasis?"

Why I am here... This bunker... It clearly isn't some sort of fallout shelter. And what was happening before all this? I remember... men in uniforms instructing us to do something. Wait... us? Those other people. The others in the pods. The ones that are... dead. What were they to me...? All these questions lead to one single point. An operation...

"Operation... Failsafe." I say while rubbing my temples.

"Correct." says Orion. "Operation: Failsafe was among the many efforts to preserve human life."

"Preserve humans?" I ask, looking up to the speaker in the ceiling.

"Each subject in this bunker was carefully selected to carry out duties after being released when certain predicted conditions are met." Orion says

Operation: Failsafe. I don't remember much about them, but those words carry a lot of weight. Orion keeps referring to me by a letter, the one that was on my pod I presume. Wait, if we were to be preserved then why were the others dead? And for how long have they been rotting away? They were practically skeletal. And why can't I remember anything?

"I have finished my diagnoses." Orion snaps me back into the conversation. "Minor cryo sickness induced by your long term suspension. Your memory loss is only for a short term. All will return in time."

"I have questions of my own, Orion." I say. "The other "subjects". Why were they all dead?"

"This facility has been running on power consumption mode, leaving little power for life support systems." Answers Orion. "Many of the other subjects prerequisite conditions will never be met. So all power was shifted to the pods of the subjects whose conditions would be, such as you."

These conditions... just what are they?

"Please stand in front of the scanner, Subject Y." Orion continues. "I must start your physical examination."


	2. The Package

Orion has me stand on a scale in front of a red light that contentiously scans me from head to toe. This is infuriating. I have a mountain of questions for this AI and little to none are getting answered. "All will return in time" he says, but why not just tell me my name? Where is the harm in it? And just what are these duties it referred to? And why is this physical taking so damn long? 

"Are we almost done?" I ask. 

"Affirmative." Orion answers.

... 

"Should I cough?" I snark. 

"Negative. The implant in your head is transmit-" 

"Implant? You put something in my head?" I interrupt. 

"Affirmative." Responds Orion. "A implant was put just above the cerebral cortex of each subject primarily to monitor their health and brain activity as well as record data of the outside world."

Talk about intrusive. This examination has been going on for what feels like ten minutes. Soon enough I will be air dried. It has also become clear that this... liquid I am soaked in is clearly not water. It is sticking to my skin and creating a layer of this moist sticky feeling and it stings my nose if I smell it. Just what the hell is it? And what exactly is the world like now? I just get more and more questions stirring around inside my head.

"Physical examination complete." Orion says just before the scanner shuts off. "Please proceed to the locker room to cleanse yourself of the chemicals and equip yourself for the mission ahead."

"Mission? Hold on now, things are moving a little too fast!" I exclaim

"Negative, we are right on schedule." Orion retorts. "You will be briefed on the details after you are dressed."

About time I get to put some clothes on. I leave the med bay and follow Orion's directions to the locker room. The locker room is fairly big compared to the med bay. There are six shower heads by the back wall in individual stalls and four rows of single unit lockers. I walk to the nearest shower stall and turn on the water. The... chemicals? Came off rather quickly, but I am sticking around in this shower until I am warmed up. This actually gives me a pretty good opportunity to think. I want my memories to come back sooner rather than later. What do I remember...?

"Operation: Failsafe..." I whisper to myself.

Those men in uniform... they didn't seem like military or like they were from... from...? Its at the tip of my tongue... I can't remember. Military... I remember serving in one of sorts. But other than that its all white noise. What year even is it? I went under in... 20... 20-something. Orion said this bunker is conserving power and has been for a while, but he only gave me a bunch of nines so I doubt it is entirely reliable for asking about time. Those corpses in the pods, they were decomposing. That takes a couple of years. Shypula was almost a skeleton so... eight maybe? At the very least I have been asleep for eight years. That's a long time... And it has probably been more than just eight. Where even is this bunker located?

...

This is getting no where. I'll do this mission for Orion. I... did agree to it before... probably.  
I exit the shower and approach a nearby locker. It only takes a glance at the big letter E to guess that these are alphabet coded. So, I guess I should look for the locker with a big Y on the front of it. They seem to go from left to right, so I'll go to the last row to the right. W... X... Y. There it is. The locker has a blue keypad next to the handle... damn... was I supposed to remember the code when I woke up?

"The code to unlock your locker is 9-6-2-7." Orion says, startling me.

I type the code in and the locker unlocks and I then open it. Inside the locker is a black flight suit, a dark blue undershirt as well as underpants, combat boots, a towel, and a pistol in a holster. I take the towel and dry myself off before putting on the undershirt and pants and then the flight suit and boots.

"Clothes are one of mans greatest inventions." I sigh.

I take the pistol from the holster to take a look at it. It is fairly slender except for the barrel which is fairly larger than the rest of the weapon.

"That is a Maxim 9." Orion interjects. "Though they were never brought into military service, many crusader units bought them as a substitute for the standard side arm."

"Crusaders, huh?" I say to myself. "Alright Orion. What's next?" I ask while strapping the holster to my leg.

"Beginning briefing." Orion says. "Subject Y is to bring the Orion AI to Headquarters to piece together all data recorded by Operation: Failsafe." 

"I'm bringing you?" I ask. 

"Affirmative." Answers Orion. "The implant in your head has more than enough storage to house an Artificial Intelligence."

"I see..." The more I hear about this implant the more intrusive it seems. "How am I going to get you in it?"

"Your implant is connected to your nervous system down to your left ring finger. The tip of your ring finger is, for lack of better words, an input/output for your implant." Orion explains.

I take a look at my ring finger. It looks like the finger print has been sanded off leaving an odd smooth appearance.

"Insert your ring finger into the console by the exit to the locker room." Instructs Orion

I obey and walk towards the console. It has a blank blue screen and a small slot below that. I carefully insert my finger.

*Initializing transfer.* 

I feel every muscle in my arm tense up, as if they are being shocked but something is holding my finger in place.

*50%*

I am starting to.. hear things. In my head. A constant string of numbers. But it is going too fast to decipher.

*100%. Transfer complete*

The numbers stopped, and all lights in the bunker went out.

*Hello Subject Y* 

I can hear... No, that's not the right word. Feel Orion. Like its words are being transmitted directly to my brain.

*Please proceed to the surface elevator, emergency lights will show the way.*


	3. Into The Wild

*Before heading to the surface you should take the remaining supplies from the storage to your left.*

I followed the emergency lights to the elevator door. Following Orion's instructions, I turn to my left and see a open door leading to a closet with a number of backpacks hanging on the walls and various containers. I take one of the backpacks from the wall and start cramming in as much as I can. 9mm bullets for my pistol, water, MREs, anything I might need. I can't fit too much into it since it's just a single strap but I need to make do.   
It is a bit of a tight fit, but I managed to fit in quite a number of supplies. I strap on the backpack, then turn back to the elevator.

I step into the elevator and the door close behind me. I can feel the elevator slowly start the climb to the surface.

"Orion, you mentioned some prerequisite conditions earlier. What exactly does that mean?" 

*Each subject had their own set of skills and mental conditions. For example. Subject E was an excellent fighter, but suffered from crippling loneliness.*

"So if this... "E" was all alone..."

*The probability of suicide was 83%* *Subject E would be the second to be released after the confirmed survival of the human race post Project Gestalt.*

"I see... What exactly were my conditions?"

*Subjects I and Y were deemed suitable couriers for the Orion AI.* *Subject Y was to be the courier should no human contact be established in the years following Project Gestalt due to a history of self isolation.*

"So you picked me because I don't get lonely." 

*Affirmative*

"That's encouraging..."

My conversation with Orion is brought to a close when the elevator comes to a halt. After a few seconds of silence the doors in front of me make a loud clicking noise before slowly opening, screeching all the way. The light shines through the doors, practically blinding me. I squint my eyes and step through the doors. Feeling the sun shine directly onto my skin felt oddly refreshing, though the heat definitely slapped me once I stepped outside. It's a dry heat, it isn't humid whatsoever though I am wearing black so that is bound to change.  
My eyes adjusted quickly to the outside. I am in a grass field just outside of a city, one that seems to be lifeless. The elevator looks like little more than a tool shed from the outside. A tool shed for what? I couldn't tell you. It is an empty field with a random shed plopped down in it.

"So..." I ask. "Where exactly is this headquarters you spoke of?"

*Operation: Failsafe headquarters is located in the city of Urayasu to the South East*

"Urayasu? How far away is that?"

*Approximately 54.5 kilometers.* 

"That.. is a long walk."

*Approximately 11 hours without breaks. Continuous walking is inadvisable in your current state Subject Y*

"Can you drop the "Subject Y" crap and tell me my name?"

*Negative, it is against cryo protocol. Overloading a subject with information could confuse the subject, hindering their progress.*

"Yet, you have barely told me a thing." I sigh. "Any idea what I should be expecting in Urayasu?"

*Negative, all previously recorded data has been proven to be outdated beyond use.*

"So I am going in blind?"

*Affirmative.* 

I sigh once more.

"In that case, I'll check out this city before moving on. Might be able to find something or someone that can help figure this out."

*The city in front of us is Kawagoe. Otherwise known as "Little Edo".*

Kawagoe...? That name rings a bell, though not a big one. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the city has fallen into disrepair. Even from outside of the city one can see that the buildings are falling apart. Even still I would like to look around. With curiosity in my head, I begin the hike towards Kawagoe.


	4. Machine Life

The more I explore Kawagoe the clearer it becomes that this city is completely desolate. I had low hopes but I at least wanted to come across a calendar to try to deduce a year, but there is nothing. Every building, be it store or house, is completely empty. There is no wildlife beyond the overgrown grass. No rats or boars. No feral cats or wild dogs. There is simply no life to this city. And yet I haven't seen a single corpse. Orion seems to be enjoying this though. It has been very quiet, but I can feel it scanning and cataloging everything. Like a child at a toy store. I have been wandering through some commercial district for at least an hour now. Honestly I have stopped paying attention to the buildings I pass I have investigated enough of them to know they are all picked clean without so much as a desk. It is probably about time I start hiking south east anyhow...

My thoughts are interrupted by a distant... thud? No it is more of a plomp if anything. A second one. It sounds almost springy. Like a mechanical spring.

*I advise taking cover Subject Y.*

Heeding Orion's advice, I quickly duck into a nearby shop. Or what is left of one.   
It didn't take long for the source of the noise to come into view. Out of a nearby alleyway hops some sort of robot. It is short and... a little stubby. It is grey and fairly rusty with yellow lit eyes on a oddly sized head. I don't think it has much walking capability given it's feet.

"Orion, you ever see a machine like that before?" I whisper.

*Negative."

"Should I wait for it to pass?"

*Negative. First contact is required when encountering foreign...*

"Foreign?"

*Life, for lack of better words.*

"So playing it safe just won't do...?"

*Affirmative.*

I wait for the machine to hop by the building before attempting to speak with it. I take a deep breath and exit the shop.

"Um..."

That is all it took for the machine to twist around, eyes changed to red. Instinctively I draw my pistol from its holster and aim it at the machine. It makes three hops towards me, this would be cute if it weren't giving me a murderous glare. It takes one last hop before stopping. It is staring at my stomach. I know whats coming. But getting punched in the stomach is a small price to pay for avoiding the nagging of an AI. The machine slowly pulls its arm back, and unleashes its metallic fist directly into my stomach. Forcing me to hunch over and start to drool.

*Mechanical life form confirmed hostile.*

Guess it takes a super computer to figure out that mystery. Still hunched over, I turn and attempt to put some distance between the machine and myself. I run a bit and then turn around. The machine hasn't moved at all, it's fist still held to where it punched me. Seizing the opportunity, I unload five rounds into the machine. For such a small and quiet little gun, it certainly packs a punch. The bullets just barely pass through the machines plating however, in some places they just straight up bounced off. I fire five more shots at it, attempting to hit it in the head. Again, just barely passes through. The machine is still standing completely still.

*I believe 9mm rounds are ineffective.*

"I see that..."

*I recommend retreating while the machine is still.*

Orion didn't even have to tell me that, while it was saying it I was already booking it down the street and thoughtlessly cutting into one of the many alleyways. I come across an underground bar. Or what is left of one, I can only gather that it was a bar from the sign. I run down the stairs and enter the bar. Surprisingly, there are still tables laying around. Although there was a lack of chairs, drinks, lights, anything that shows that this place was even an attraction.  
But back to that robot. The hell was that thing? If I had food in me I would have thrown it up from its punch. If it had hit me any harder it probably would have punched right through me!

"Orion, do you have any records of machines like that?"

*Negative. The only records I have of mechanical "life" stem from Project Gestalt.*

"Gestalt... huh."

*I advise sticking less open areas while navigating the remainder of the city as well as finding a secure location to rest while you recover from the encounter.*

I didn't even realize. I am still hunched over and the pain in my stomach is making my legs quiver. I was already a bit dizzy from the whole cryo sickness thing, this is just adding onto it. Orion is right, I could go for a nap.   
Without thinking I slump against the wall by the door and slide down to the floor.

*This is not a secure location Subject Y. It is recommended that you relocate.*

"I'll be fine. I'll wake up in a few minutes. Just let me rest a bit."

Yeah, a few minutes. My head is still all fuzzy. Maybe I can sort out my thoughts when I wake up.

*Affirmative. Rest well Subject Y.*


	5. The Hell Kinda Name Is 4S?

I feel groggy and sluggish. Do I have to wake up? I want to remain in bed. Bed... that's right. I'm not in one. My back is gonna hurt when I get up.

*Good morning, Subject Y.*

Right. I have a computer in my head now. Sleep really is blissful, so much so I forgot my situation. My eyes are stuck shut with rheum. I rub the rheum off and am met with the desolate bar.

"How long was I asleep?"

*Approximately 12 hours.*

"Twelve hours? I said it was only going to be a few minutes..."

*A minor symptom of Cryo Sickness, it should not hinder your progress.*

"Minor...?"

*Have any latent memories returned to you, Subject Y?*

I think to myself a bit before answering Orion.

"None comes to mind. Not even a name..."

*Understood. You should continue to Urayasu.*

I nod in agreement. While standing up my, back makes a loud crack. A side effect for sitting for twelve hours no doubt. I leave the bar and retrace my steps through the alleyways, eventually returning to the street where I was punched. I peak out of the alleyway...

"It's still there..."

*Affirmative.*

"Of course it's still there!" A lively voice sneaks up on me from behind, causing me to yelp and draw my pistol.

A-a kid?

"I mean, why wouldn't it be? It IS destroyed. Partially at least." He says, blatantly ignoring the gun in his face. Has this happened to him before?

I am left dumbfounded. Orion seems to be too given that I no longer feel its constant ones and zeros in my head. Well of course. Why wouldn't it be? It did say it hasn't encountered people in some time. People... This kid... This boy. Snuck up on an armed stranger. Who the hell does that? And what is with his getup? He is dressed head to toe in black, though I guess I am one to talk. He is wearing some sort of choker. And his jacket has odd white designs on it. Gothic? He is blindfolded? Is he blind? Then how did he sneak up on me? C-can he smell me? Do I stink?

"Hellooooo? Anyone in there?" He says while waving his hand in front of me.

The gall of this kid! Are you not intimidated by the barrel of a gun!?

"Proposal: Unit 4S should attempt to disarm the strange man." Some sort of robot flies out from behind the boy. Wait what kind of name is 4S?

"You are way too cautious... He is clearly not hostile. Or else he would have shot at us earlier."

What? Earlier? The hell?

"You, stranger. Put down the gun so we can talk already." 4S asks and I begrudgingly oblige, holstering my pistol.

I am completely tongue tied. Orion isn't saying anything either. What is with this kid? And his pet robot? And the machine down the road... destroyed? 

"Hey, you can quit staring any time now. Never met someone from YoRHa before?" He mockingly asks.

"Y-YoRHa?" I tilt my head and ask.

"Oh, he's not broken. Great!" 4S claps his hands together. "What are you doing out here? This place is a hot zone for machine activity!"

"Hot zone? I haven't seen any machines besides that one down the road." I say.

"Duh! Cuz they are all underground! You must have been too if you are so out of the loop." 4S claps back.

"You aren't wrong..." I mumble.

*We should refrain from speaking of Operation: Failsafe for the time being.*

"Oh, you're alive." I say.

"Uh, yeah?" 4S tilts his head in confusion.

"Not you." I tell him.

So Orion wants me to keep secrets from this... 4S? I don't blame it, the kid is suspicious. Kid... probably shouldn't call him that. We might actually be pretty close in age.

"You still haven't told me why you are out here." 4S says while taking a step towards me.

"Just... looking around?" Probably should have come up with a better response...

"Looking around? Are you scouting for the Resistance?" 4S asks while looking me up and down. Wait, how can he look at me if he is blindfolded? "You aren't exactly dressed like a Resistance member."

"I'm... on my own. I guess?" I say, digging myself into a deeper hole.

"I guess?" 4S say inquisitively "Look, this place is pretty tightly locked down by YoRHa and the rest of the extermination team is on their way."

"Extermination team?" I ask.

"Yeah. We are clearing the subway system so the Resistance can set up camp down there." 4S answers.

"So, you want me out of the way." I say. "I guess I was fixing to leave anyway. Say, you wouldn't happen to know the safest route to Urayasu would you?"

"Urayasu?" 4S asks.

"Urayasu: the City Ruins that the Resistance has set up headquarters in to the South East." The floating robot speaks up.

"Oh, you are heading to the City Ruins?" 4S brings a hand to his chin and hums to himself. "Maybe you don't have to leave just yet."

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"I have two objectives to carry out. One, to clear a nearby subway entrance. Two, to scout out a landing zone Extermination team." 4S lower his hand from his chin. "Should you clear out the subway entrance for me, I could send you on the... safer route towards the Resistance camp.

"Clear out? You mean of those machines?" I ask "Not sure if you noticed, but I am not exactly equipped to take those things on."

"I'm not so sure about that... I have seen firearms shoot smaller rounds take down some of those small ones." He snaps his fingers. "Here's an idea. Pod!"

4S holds out his hand and... a bullpup rifle materializes out of thin air into his open hand.

"Not exactly supposed to hand these out to strangers. But I don't use firearms, unlike you." He says while handing me the rifle. "You agree to clear out the entrance, and I will give you my gun and enough ammo to take on the Machines. And I will give you more ammo and directions when you are finished." 

Not a bad offer. More efficient means to protect myself and directions. His change in attitude is concerning but it isn't like I have much to lose but time.

"Alright, Deal."


	6. Active Combat

My stomach grumbles as I walk down the empty streets, rifle in hand. I haven't eaten in... well since before I crawled into cryo. And it's almost been a full day since I woke up. After I take care of the machines I should eat one of the MRE. Unless they expired... Do they expire? I hope not, I'd rather not go hunting lest I kill someones live stock.  
I look down at the rifle 4S gave me. It is short though fairly large, my arms look tiny in comparison.

*This is an FN F2000 S, a model used by the Slovenian Armed Forces. It uses 5.56 NATO rounds.*

"These YoRHa... think they are military?"

*Affirmative, though they are clearly not the Slovenian Armed Forces.*

"Regardless, the subway entrance is just ahead."

I come to a stop and peak around the corner of a office building. Five of those short stubby machines are roaming around, one of which seems to have a buzz saw attached to its torso.

"Can't let them get too close. Any ideas?" I whisper

*Affirmative, enter the nearby office building and make your way to the second floor. Engage hostile machines from the windows.*

"Understood.

I enter the buildings lobby through a broken window. It is completely barren. 

*Lobby clear of hostiles. Move up the stairs to the second floor.*

Following Orion's instructions I move to a stair case in the far corner of the lobby. The stairs lead to a small corridor. The left side had a large number of doors, all broken in someway. While the right had broken windows, accompanied by shattered glass on the floor. I take up a position at one of the windows, with a clear view of the machines. I load the F2000 and line up a shot with one of the stubby machines. I squeeze the trigger and fire a four shot burst at the stubby, all four hit, but the machine is still standing. All five of them immediately turn to me, with their eyes instantly changing red. I fire another burst at the stubby and its eyes turn off then it falls against the concrete before exploding.

"Got one."

*Affirmative, four remain.*

"Far more effective than my pistol."

I shoot eight rounds into an adjacent machine, most hit causing another explosion.

*Three remain.*

I do the same for another stubby.

*Two remain.*

This leaves one stubby and the buzz saw. I opt to shoot the unarmed stubby first, firing another eight shots.

"Hu...man..." A high pitched, robotic voice echos through the hall causing me to turn around. Coming face to face with a machine taller than the others.

"Must... kill." 

It winds up a punch and hits me right in the ribs, causing me to fall into the shards of glass on the floor and to drop my rifle.

*Subject Y, status report.*

"I think it broke a rib... maybe all of them..." I groan.

"Andoid... kill." It says, stepping over my rifle and getting within grabbing distance of me.

In a panic I draw my pistol and unload a full magazine into the machine, the impact of the bullets cause it to bob a bit but it still stands over me. I quickly reload the pistol and unload a second magazine into it to no avail. The machine grabs me by the collar and brings me to my feet. It's red eyes staring into mine. I reload the gun and place the barrel directly to the head of the machine, unloading a third magazine into its head causing its eyes to go dark and it dropping me back to the ground.

*I recommend you seek cover, Subject Y.*

A hissing noise comes from the body of the machine. I scramble to get to my feet and away from the machine but was too late. The body explodes, sending me right back into the ground and leaving my ears ringing. 

*Subject Y, status report.*

My left hand stings like hell. Probably cut it on the glass.

"I'm fine. Is that all of them?" I say holstering my pistol and walking to my rifle.

*Negative, one hostile still remains.*

"Shit, the buzz saw!" I yell and run to the window.

"I can't see it."

*Hostile machine is likely inside the building. Remain alert.*

I turn towards the stairs I came up and take aim, waiting for the machine to hop up them.

"Kill... kill... kill!" Behind me?

"Again?!" I yell

The machines attacks me with it's saw vertically, I narrowly dodge it's attack. I squeeze the trigger and hear a click. The dreaded click. My stomach goes cold.

*Out of ammo.*

"Shit!." I yell turning on my heel and bursting through an adjacent door. Leading to a room full of cubicles.

I duck behind a cubicle and eject a magazine from the rifle.

*You are wounded Subject Y. Disengage.*

I groan at Orion before finishing reloading.

"Damn thing is blocking the way out even if I wanted to."

The sound of the saw echos through the room. Followed by a spring and thump. It is hunting me down. I duck in and out from the cubicles, trying to get the jump on the machine. Then the springs come to a stop.

*Hostile machine is on the other side of the cubicle.*

Heeding Orion's words, a jump onto the cubicle desk and step onto the dividing wall. Standing over the machine I unload shot after shot into it.

*All hostiles neutralized. Rendezvous with 4S.* 

I take a couple of breaths and look at my left palm. Covered in blood, multiple cuts. Gonna scar and might need stitches.

"I'll... bandage my hand first... gimme a breather..."

*Affirmative.*


End file.
